Strayer 21, Communism

18/2/2017

Bingham

18/2/2017 13:57:00

Have fun with this one.

Be sure to review your OneNote WHAP folder to prepare for the CCOT on Monday. Tip: The topic will come from the last chapter! Hmmmm. What kinds of changes and continuities did you notice in the last chapter?

Marisa Wattenbarger

19/2/2017 19:31:12

MQ8 - Why did communist regimes generate terror and violence on such a massive scale?

I'm having trouble with this one. This is what I have so far:

-Within these communist countries, violence and terror was a tool to control the population, and was also generated by suspicion of capitalist within their own ranks.
-Externally they generated terror and violence by enforcing communist regimes in countries with little support, and by creating a similar reaction in democratic countries, as people became suspicious of possible communists within their own societies.

What have I missed?

Bingham

23/2/2017 09:47:42

Well, you have the essence of it. It's clear that these regimes had a fairly changeable idea of who the enemy was. Of course the people from the old regime were targeted, but also long time supporters and officials who were accused (often unjustly) of becoming to bourgeoisie. This was probably a matter of getting rid of rivals in a climb to power. Then again, there was a lot of paranoia (sometimes justified) that these people were influenced, or under the thumb of, Western "imperialists" . These were expressed (watch me use evidence to support my analysis) in purges, for example the Terror in the Soviet Union (USSR) and the Cultural Revolution in China.

Bingham

23/2/2017 09:50:21

So to bullet point the above for memory purposes:
*get rid of the old enemies
*get rid of potential traitors
*purges like the Terror & Cultural Rev.

Audrey Mills

22/2/2017 14:52:20

When and where did communism exercise influence during the twentieth century?
-Russia/Soviet Union, starting 1917
-Eastern Europe in wake of WWII
-Mongolia under communist regime in 1924 as spillover of Russian Revolution
-Korea was a colony of Japan but was partitioned after WWII. North half under Soviet/communist control.
-More locally based communist movement in Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh. Socialism+nationalism. Battled invaders. Communism first in north, and after 1975 spread to whole country.
-Vietnamese communist victory spilled over to Laos and Cambodia in mid-1970's.
-Once Fidel Castro was in power in Cuba in 1959, slowly moved towards communism and an alliance with the Soviet Union.
-1979: shaky, Soviet-military-backed communist regime in Afghanistan.
-Important communist parties in Greece, France, and Italy.
-Tiny American communist party met with McCarthyism.
-Revolutionary communist movements threatened (but didn't topple) established governments in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bolivia, and Peru. Provoked brutal government crackdowns.
-1970's: African states called themselves Marxist and aligned with Soviet Union in international affairs.

Let me know if I missed anything or misunderstood the question!

Bingham

23/2/2017 09:32:56

I think you have it.

Amy

23/2/2017 00:02:08

Happy birthday!! 🎉🎊

Bingham

23/2/2017 09:19:29

Thanks! Where is everyone?

Bingham

23/2/2017 09:26:34

Okay fine. Here is a pretty broad question - what's tough is to find that "goldy locks" spot between not enough, and too much detail. So here is a "model" answer to...
Identify the major differences between the Russian and the Chinese revolutions.

The revolution in China was a fight over decades rather than a single year.

Unlike Russia, where intellectuals had been talking about socialism for half a century plus before the revolution, the ideas of Karl Marx were barely known in China in the early twentieth century.

The Chinese communists faced a far more challenging political foe than the Provisional Government over which the Bolsheviks had overcome in Russia.

Whereas the Bolsheviks in Russia found their primary audience among workers in Russia's major cities, Chinese communists looked to the country's peasant villages for support.

Chinese peasants did not rise up spontaneously against their landlords, as Russian peasants had (soviets)
.
Chinese communists ultimately put down deep roots (social & cultural awareness) among peasants in a way that the Bolsheviks never did.

Whereas the Bolsheviks gained support by urging Russian withdrawal from the highly unpopular World War I, the Chinese communists won support by aggressively pursuing the struggle against Japanese invaders during World War II.

Amy Vaughan

23/2/2017 18:04:48

MQ5: What change did communist regimes bring to the lives of women?
So I'm a little confused as to how detailed my answer to this question should be. I know that women received equal political and legal rights, but should I list them out (ex: maternity leave, legalization of divorce and abortion)? Some other big points would be the women's organizations in Russia and China (Zhenotdel, Marriage Law of 1950, and the Chinese Women's Federation), but should I list out all of the individual freedoms that each entailed? I know this is pretty late to be posting, but maybe someone else has a good way of organizing this. Thanks!

Bingham

23/2/2017 20:23:17

Well it all comes down to the way the question is asked, right? If women's rights is going to be part of a group of comparisons, a light gloss over might do it. Alternatively, you might get asked directly about women's rights, then you'd need all those specifics to have a complete answer. That is, provide SPECIFIC evidence. Evil, right? That's how we play up here in the big leagues. Prepare for both. The goal is to deeply understand, not do the minimum to have a chance at a good grade. Your effort pays off, and then the grade follows.

Yeah, I'm talking more to those few of you that haven't asked for an exemption than to Amy. There are a lot of people that need a problem solving mind set, not an excuse finding mind set!

Between us Amy, I always jump at a chance to ask a question about social issues in a topic.

Niara Pelton

23/2/2017 20:41:44

MQ3: Why were the Bolsheviks able to ride the Russian Revolution to power?
Dissatisfaction and anger towards Provisional Government
Bolshevik’s message resonated with rebellious public mood
Claimed to act on behalf of soviets
Won the 3 year civil war

Niara Pelton

23/2/2017 20:42:59

MQ4: What was the appeal of communism in China before 1949?
Addressed China’s major problems of foreign imperialism and peasant exploitation
CCP expressed Chinese nationalism and desire for radical social change
Communists gained a reputation for honesty instead of corruption
Effective resistance against Japanese. Offered security against invaders
Made changes within peasants’ lives

Niara Pelton

23/2/2017 20:47:31

What was the appeal of communism, in terms of both its promise and its achievements? To what extent did it fulfill that promise?
Fair distribution of wealth among entire population
Modernization and industrialization
Equality of citizens
Redistribution and collectivization of land
Industrialization of communist countries
Substantial improvement in women’s rights

Richard Greenspan of the Manchester State

22/4/2017 11:58:04

When forty winters shall besiege thy brow,
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field,
Thy youth's proud livery so gazed on now,
Will be a totter'd weed of small worth held:
Then being asked, where all thy beauty lies,
Where all the treasure of thy lusty days;
To say, within thine own deep sunken eyes,
Were an all-eating shame, and thriftless praise.
How much more praise deserv'd thy beauty's use,
If thou couldst answer 'This fair child of mine
Shall sum my count, and make my old excuse,'
Proving his beauty by succession thine!
This were to be new made when thou art old,
And see thy blood warm when thou feel'st it cold.

Bingham

Welcome class of 2019. Some years students collaborate in this space effectively, some years not so much. One thing I know, collaboration significantly enhances learning. If you want access to my thoughts, this is the collaboration space to use. Most people propose an answer to margin questions, big picture question, or anything else related to managing Strayer. Other people can then comment leading to a stronger answer. I'll keep an eye on these pages, and pop in when I think you need me.

Strayer 21, Communism

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Bingham

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